Family Secrets
by DigitalStoryteller
Summary: The story of three defence attorneys and their families.
1. Chapter 1

She rushed up the staircase. Her ginger ponytail swayed with each step. Right hand occasionally touching the railing, Athena quickened her pace. She was late for work. Hearing that familiar jangle of keys, she stopped, looked up. Then Athena kept going.

She reached the door and saw Phoenix with a key in the door. He nodded as she approached. "Morning, Athena."

"Morning Boss!" she replied with a grin, then leaned against the wall to catch her breath for a moment.

The door pulled away from Phoenix and he entered, Athena following him. She closed the door behind her. She scanned the living room. No sign of Mr Wright. Where'd he go? She headed into the kitchen to get a drink, and he wasn't there.

Seconds later, she returned to the living room with a glass of OJ and saw Phoenix stroking his chin. He turned his head to Athena. "Apollo's not here yet… which is odd, considering he's usually the first to arrive."

"Yeah, he gets up at five or whatever," Athena shrugged, "and starts off every day with his–" she clenched her fists and yelled "–CHORDS OF STEEL!"

Hands over his ears, Phoenix cringed. Athena raised a brow, looking apologetic. "Bit loud?"

Phoenix gave Athena a deadpan look, and she looked sheepish. "I never got the thrill behind yelling at the decibel level of a fighter jet," said Phoenix.

"You should try it," said Athena. "It's really cathartic! Helps you relax, too."

"Maybe 'nother time… Anyway, I'm wondering where Apollo is. I mean, I needed him to do a job for me," said Phoenix.

"You know, I can do it for you if he can't," Athena chirped, clapping her hands together.

"Thanks for the offer, but I guess it can wait. I'll make him do it when he arrives."

Athena felt downcast. "Oh…" Then she brightened up. "So what do you need me to do? Do we have a case? Reports to fill out? Which is a total bore, by the way."

Phoenix sat down at his desk, looking up at Athena. He interlaced his fingers. "I don't have any work set for you, I guess. You completed all your paperwork for your last case on time, and no, we don't have any new clients at the moment."

Athena sighed then took a seat opposite Phoenix. She frowned. "Business has been quiet lately, hasn't it?

Phoenix furrowed his brow. "Suppose so. But there'll always be people in need of our services."

Athena inclined her head, and began toying with her earring. "My first year as a lawyer – it's been eventful, you know. And I'm really happy I get to work at the Agency, with Apollo, Trucy and you, Boss."

Phoenix had his laptop out and he concentrated on the screen.

Athena frowned. "I just wish my uncle and aunt in Europe wouldn't be so against the idea of me as an attorney."

Phoenix glanced at Athena. "What d'you mean?"

She lowered her arm and kept her hands on her lap. "They weren't… very happy with my decision to leave Europe."

"**Understatement of the millennium**!" shrieked Widget.

Phoenix pushed the computer screen down and set his laptop aside. "A… pity to hear that, Athena. I'm sure your relatives are proud of what you accomplished. They should be. I know I certainly am."

She blushed. "Cheers, Boss. Glad I didn't disappoint." Those words meant plenty, coming from a man she respected and admired.

They settled into a comfortable silence. Once the red faded from her cheeks, Athena said, "Mr Wright, I don't think my uncle even cares about I've done. He sure as heck hasn't tried to call me since I've left Europe. And my aunt, well, Auntie Jane tries to be supportive, but I know she's pretending to. 'Cause every time we talk, I get discord from her."

"Well, how did your last conversation with your uncle go?" asked Phoenix asked.

"It was… very loud," replied Athena. "He was pretty mad that I chose to go into law. He thought defending Simon was… a waste of time. I definitely didn't want to join his company, though. Just imagine the awkwardness. Ugh." She made a face.

Phoenix smiled kindly. "You can't let this hang over you like a guillotine. Talk to your uncle sometime soon. Call him."

Athena scowled. A crimson Widget piped up, "Don't wanna!"

"It's for the best, Athena. Stretching out any conflict, especially one in your family, really does put a strain on you. Trust me," said Phoenix wearily, "I've gone through it. It's no fun having a feud with family."

Athena crossed her arms. "I bet you never had an argument with Trucy, though…"

"Actually we did. But it was never about something as life-changing as one's choice of career. Mostly we argued about the risks of certain magic acts. (Which reminds me: I still need to confiscate those throwing knives. Where does she even hide them?)"

Face puckered, she clutched her arm and looked away. "We exchanged words… that I'm not sure neither of us will be able to take back."

Phoenix looked stern. "An apology is always a good first step…"

Athena got up. "Listen Mr Wight, thanks for your advice but…"

Raising his hands, Phoenix said, "Your family, your solution. I just want everything to be okay."

Athena nodded. "Right. Do you want me to go find Apollo?"

"Just ring him. I don't need you scouring the city searching for him."

She took out her phone and dialled Apollo's number.


	2. Chapter 2

He wore a black shirt with a crimson tie, a light-grey blazer plus pants and brown leather shoes. His red hair was cut short. He was passing by the guest room on the second floor of his home. He stopped to check in on his niece. Opening the door, Nolan poked his head in.

His niece was sitting on the edge of the bed in her vacuous room. She was staring out the window, her hands in her lap. Her pink headphones were off, lying on the bed.

Nolan stepped inside and shut the door. He sat down beside the unmoving girl. "So, what do you think of the house?"

Not a great conversation starter. Then again, Nolan never liked small talk much. The girl stroked her ginger ponytail, closing her eyes. "Um… it's a big place," she said quietly. "'S okay."

Looking through the window, Nolan saw green meadows stretch on and on. He scratched his neck. He didn't know what questions to ask. Nolan remained silent for a few moments.

His niece turned her head to him. "You don't have to check up on me, uncle. I wanna be alone for a little bit. Just let me know when dinner is ready, please," she murmured. Nolan checked his niece's gaze. There was only hardness in those blue orbs. 'She's trying to stay strong,' he noted. 'So that she doesn't turn into a sobbing wreck.'

He had never met his niece until very recently. He knew she existed, but Nolan expect to cross paths with her under these circumstances – a father long presumed missing, and her mother murdered only weeks ago. The thought of now being responsible for a child – the thought of being her legal guardian – made him feel numb.

The redhead adolescent scowled at him. "Uncle, do you mind giving me some privacy please?"

Nolan nodded and got to his feet. She wanted to be alone. Fine. He appreciated solitude too.

Walking, he stopped at the doorway, turned, looked at her. She was still facing the window. Nolan said, "Athena, if there's anything you want right now…"

"Right now I'd like to be alone," said Athena curtly.

Nolan closed his eyes for a moment and pressed his forehead against the doorframe. So much to say, yet no clue how to express it. Saying sorry for the loss was pointless. 'Hollow words, waste of breath,' he thought. Leaving America to live in England was no doubt a jarring transition for Athena. Saying she'll like it here was foolish. She probably hated everything surrounding her.

Nolan simply replied, "I'll tell you when dinner is ready," and left. Closing the door once more, he began the walk to his study. A compact room with one rectangular window, a leather sofa, a desk, two shelves and two chests of drawers. He entered the room, locked it and sat at his desk. He reached for his right drawer and got out a folder in front of him.

It contained notes and diagrams on a side project Metis Cykes had been working on. She'd wanted to replace the clunky headphones with barely noticeable earplugs that would prevent Athena's ears hurting because of loud noises. Noises which included other people's heartbeats.

Nolan was certain he could get the people in R&D at his tech-firm working on this soon. It was possible, and he was going to make the industry-grade earplugs a reality. Athena would definitely need them in the coming years.

He heard the staccato clicking of high-heels. They were getting louder and louder. Then the noise stopped. He heard rapping on the door and said, "Come in."

Then a woman with black hair in a ponytail and kind grey eyes entered. His wife, Jane. She wore a grey-white business suit. Hands together and in front of her, she asked, "Busy?"

Nolan glanced from Jane to the file in his grip a couple of times. "Hm? No. Just reading. Reading something boring and complicated. Company stuff."

"And you didn't think mentioning it to me?" asked Jane, arching a brow.

"Old company stuff," amended Nolan. "Something in the alpha stage that's been there for a while." He shut the folder and dropped into the open drawer before closing it. Jane came forward and sat opposite Nolan.

She crossed her legs, placed her hands on the left armrest and interlaced her fingers. "How's Athena doing?" asked Jane.

Tapping his fingertips together, Nolan sighed. "How d'you expect her to be faring? She's going through something no child should. And it's something you never, ever should be going through. I'm sorry about your sister, Jane."

Jane nodded, sniffling. 'After Metis's funeral, I feel like a part of me died… I just feel like utter shit.'

"This shouldn't have happened," said Jane furiously. "We don't need this. I don't want Athena here. It's another reminder of Metis's… you know what I mean. I don't _want _to look after my sister's daughter." Uncrossing her legs, she pointed at Nolan. "And it's just plain hypocrisy on your behalf!

"Years and years, I've respected that you were unsure about having kids, and now, we've got one who's _never even heard of us_. You think we need to be burdened by this? By her?"

Nolan raised his hands. "I think you're being unfair to Athena. She's not a burden, darling. She is family. I want her to be safe with us, away from that life of reclusiveness in America. Better to have her here than with that psycho scientist."

Jane bit her lower lip, squinting. "True… But I still disagree with your decision. I mean, are we qualified to look after her? It's gonna be hard with all the travelling and meetings we do."

Nolan smirked, interlacing his fingers. "Then we'll simply have to adapt." His expression became serious. "Athena needs us, Jane. She needs a positive influence. I'm pretty certain we can do more than just that."

Jane inclined her head. "Maybe I should talk to her…"

Nodding, Nolan responded, "You should do that. She might touch base better with you than she did with me. Honestly, I always thought you'd make a great mother, but I just don't want…"

Getting up his wife said, "And now's my chance to be one… sort of. And you don't need to repeat your reasons for not wanting a child, sweetie. I understand. I always did."

Nolan gave a grateful smile. "Thank you."

* * *

><p><em>7 years later. Present day.<em>

Athena found Apollo sitting on the sofa, headphones on, reading a book on the legacy of Manfred von Karma. She sat opposite him and gave a friendly wave. Apollo blinked before taking off the headphones and dog-earing the page he was currently on.

"Hey Athena."

Athena asked, "So you were helping Trucy practice for her new show?"

Nodding, Apollo said, "Yeah, pretty much. That's why I was late, sorry."

Athena leaned forward, curious. "What's it like, being a magician's assistant? Is it as weird like in the movies?"

Apollo chuckled. "With Trucy, the right words to use are scary and unexpected."

"Oh come on, it can't be that–"

"She used me for target practice with her throwing knives," said Apollo sharply.

Athena's eyes became as wide as saucers. Widget burned yellow. She squeaked, "I didn't expect that."

"Told ya – scary and unexpected. And she did while she was blindfolded," continued Apollo.

"Ok, now there's some serious black sorcery going on," Athena declared. "Was Trucy good? Did she make the knives strike the places all around you?"

"No. She made sure I was thoroughly stabbed," said Apollo flatly, his expression deadpan.

"That ain't funny, man!" replied his friend, scowling.

Stroking his chin, Apollo narrowed his eyes. "Come to think of it, I suspect Trucy cheated…"

"How so?"

"Trucy told me afterwards she knew where to throw because she sensed the tension coming from me. But Trucy and I have the same power. And…"

"…if you're covering at least one eye you can't detect tension anymore," Athena finished for him.

"Exactly my point. She probably wore a thin blindfold…" Apollo shrugged, looking sheepish. "I don't actually know…"

Incredulous, Athena asked, "Whaddaya mean, you don't know? You kept your eyes closed the whole time?"

"Better – I got a blindfold."

Athena sagged and inclined her head. "I would've tried to watch…"

Rubbing his wrist, Apollo smirked. "Liar."

Athena flinched, clenching her fists and closed her eyes. "Fine. Got me there. I'd have tried to escape, really."

"Oh, and going on stage as a volunteer is a bad, bad idea. It's really embarrassing – a well-known lawyer being a magician's assistant. I've done it twice and – and never again."

"Never again what, Polly?" asked Trucy, popping up beside Apollo. He turned his head towards the magician.

Relaxing in his seat, Apollo placed his arms on the headrest and said, "Simply teaching Things to never do at the Wright Anything Agency. Being your assistant is number 5. No offense, Truce."

"None taken. Not everyone's ready for the intensity and daredevilry of what I do on stage." Trucy tapped her chin with a gloved finger, frowning. She flicked a glance in Athena's direction. "Out of curiosity, though, what are the top four on your list?"

Widget was glowing emerald. Grinning, Athena rubbed her palms in anticipation. "Learning things all the time here. C'mon Apollo, what are the first four never to attempt at the Agency?"

"Well, in ascending order – number 4: never bring Mr Wright the wrong blend of coffee in the morning."

Both attorneys and the magician heard "Damn straight!" come behind them. They turned and saw Mr Wright typing at his computer. Then the lesson resumed.

Apollo spoke in a hushed voice. "The last time I brought the wrong blend he smashed the mug against the wall and roared at me, 'Wrong blend! I wanted 101, not 111! Are you deaf, man?'"

Fiddling with her earring, Athena furrowed her brow. "That doesn't sound like Boss at all…"

"Nope, definitely sounds like Daddy," said Trucy.

"Oh, this was before he got himself cleaned up and shaven," explained Apollo. "Turns he keeps a book of all the different coffee blends – claims he got it from a friend in prison. Well, I tried some of them." Apollo pulled a face. "My advice? Don't."

Athena leaned forward in her seat. "What's No.3?" she wondered.

"Haven't thought of one. So many candidates though, like – don't put a bomb under my seat."

"A BOMB?!"

"You can imagine the hysteria it caused…" muttered Trucy.

Apollo scowled at her. "A pal of mine – ex-gangster – stashed the thing under my chair. It had the timer and the noise and everything. The beep beep beep noise! It turned out to be a practical gag for April Fool's. Trucy helped."

Shaking her head, Athena coursed her fingers through her ponytail. "You have an ex-gangster for a friend?"

"Yep. He's got a very… explosive sense of humour. Heh."

No one laughed. **"That ain't funny, man!"** said Widget.

"Well it wasn't funny for me at the time," replied Apollo. He winced. "Not a fan of bombs…"

"I can only think of one explosives fanboy – and he's a bomb disposal expert," said Athena.

Trucy said, "The only thing actually inside the bomb had been confetti. And a note. I think it said 'Congratulations for not going boom!'. Actually, here's a good No.3. Don't steal my props. How's that one, Polly?"

Apollo stroked his chin. "It works, I guess. Ah, that reminds me of the time that college student stole your magic panties, whatsisname?"

Trucy shrugged. "Can't remember. Athena, Apollo ever tell you about the first case he had with me?"

Athena inclined her head, arching her eyebrows. "Um, no. No, I don't think he did."

Trucy opened her mouth to begin the narration but Apollo interrupted. "Let's save for that another time, eh?" He growled, "Not particularly fond of that case…"

He got two surprised looks.

"Got anything for the number two spot, Athena?" Trucy questioned.

"This one's a goodie!" promised Athena. "Don't let the prosecution steal evidence from you."

"That's… actually a great one, Athena," muttered Apollo.

"Told ya it was!"

"'Specially since Blackquill has that hawk that can swoop in and snatch anything from us."

Apollo and Athena's last case had Taka snatch evidence that showed what the first bullet from the murder weapon hit. Two attorneys chasing a gliding hawk with a mannequin's head in its talons was a rare occurrence at the courthouse. It was a spectacle to behold, as they had failed miserably to reclaim the fake head.

"Now what about the number one thing to never do?" enquired Apollo. "How about to never piss off Mr Wright?"

"Makes sense," agreed Athena. "Ever done it?"

"Nope," said Apollo breezily. "Wouldn't dare imagine doing it."

"Same," said his friend.

Trucy smiled wryly. "You make it sound like Daddy is really scary; but he–"

"Absolutely, totally is when he wants to be," argued Apollo. "We've all seen what he can be in the courtroom. It's–"

**"–Awe-inspiring!"** Widget blurted. Blushing, Athena grabbed the small device.

Apollo nodded. "That too. I was gonna say terrifying, though."

There was rapping on the door. "I'll get it!" exclaimed Athena, then rushed to the door.

Opening it, she came face-to-face with a slender brunette woman in blue robes and a plain white dress. "Hello," said Athena. She put on her friendliest smile. "Are you here for some defence? Is there somebody you'd like us to represent?"

"Not here as a client," said the woman. "I'd like to meet Mr Wright however, please. Is he here?"

"Sure! I'll get him," said Athena. She turned and yelled, "Boss, there's somebody wanting to talk to you!"

"Coming!" Phoenix went to stand beside Athena. "Athena, who wants to…? _Thalassa_? What're you doing here?"

Thalassa locked gazes with Phoenix. "Hello Phoenix. I'm here to visit my children of course."

Phoenix's veins chilled. He stared at Thalassa in shock. His eyes were wide and his teeth were gritted.


End file.
